broken windows policing

noun

The practice of assigning police resources to deal with otherwise unattended urban decay, suggested by broken windows theory.

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Meanings

nounbroken windows policing (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe practice of assigning police resources to deal with otherwise unattended urban decay, suggested by broken windows theory.

Origin

From broken windows theory.

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Cite this entry
APA

broken windows policing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken%20windows%20policing

MLA

“broken windows policing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken%20windows%20policing. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “broken windows policing,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken%20windows%20policing.

Source: broken windows policing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.